Complex electronic systems, such as data storage systems, typically run a large number of processes during a typical operation. Software utilized to execute these processes may be accordingly complex and large in scope. Developing software for electronic systems involves writing code and then testing the operation of the code in the electronic system to determine if the system performs as desired while running the software.
Some complex electronic systems send process data to a management system for tracking and analysis. For example, management software such as Unisphere® by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass., tracks and analyzes the data storage system's response to storage requests received over various time periods. In order to properly debug the software, the operation of the electronic system is traced so that each step in producing the final result is available for a software developer to analyze. Conventional techniques of debugging software configured to run processes within complex systems involve storing trace data in a log file within a management system. The trace data is then available to a developer should the need to debug the software arise, e.g., in response to a software-related failure.